HUN Chapter 133: Wolf Pack Attack!

When they entered the familiar rock cave again, a feeling of homecoming arose naturally.

The cave was dry and quiet, blocking out the evening mountain winds and filling them with a sense of security.

The previous campfire pile still retained traces of its last burning, indicating no other animals had visited.

The three men unloaded their ridiculously heavy backpacks and let out long sighs of relief, feeling like every bone in their bodies was groaning.

Old George and Stan began skillfully organizing sleeping bags and sleeping pads, preparing to set up a comfortable temporary camp.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu'an looked at the mutton piled on the sheep hide, bright red like rubies, and suddenly had a bold and enticing idea.

What would be the ultimate experience of having an authentic Chinese hot pot in the Alaskan wilderness?

He spoke up, “George, Stan, how about we try a different way of eating tonight? Taste some flavors from my hometown."

Stan turned curiously, “Oh? What trick do you have now, kid? Is it that food that doesn't need fire heating again?"

Lin Yu'an smiled mysteriously. He opened his large backpack, pretending to search inside while actually focusing his consciousness into the system space.

He held up the red-packaged Prairie Red Sun sauce and said with a smile, “Look, I almost forgot I was carrying this. This is our hometown's secret dipping sauce for eating mutton."

Old George and Stan curiously leaned over. The unremarkable-looking sauce package was something they'd never seen before.

"This can be good?" Stan expressed doubt. In his view, the best mutton only needed salt.

"Trust me, this will open the door to a new world." Lin Yu'an was full of confidence.

He set up the gas stove and cleaned their only small iron pot, pouring in pure water.

While waiting for the water to boil, he began processing the mutton.

He selected a piece from the hindquarter's most tender, fascia-free part called "lamb hindquarter socket meat."

Then, using his incredibly sharp hunting knife, he began demonstrating his exquisite knife skills.

His left hand steadied the meat while his right hand worked the knife, utilizing the blade's weight and wrist finesse. With each push and pull, he sliced pieces of uniform thickness, just a few millimeters thin.

This technique was the hand-cut fresh meat skill that old masters in Beijing's copper pot hot pot took the most pride in.

These meat slices weren't as flat as frozen meat slices, but carried the natural texture of hand-cut work.

Stan and Old George watched from the side, unable to suppress their amazement.

They could easily debone and section an entire sheep, but cutting fresh meat so uniformly and neatly was beyond their skill range.

Soon, the water in the pot began bubbling "glub-glub."

Lin Yu'an took it out.

"I don't need to mix this dipping sauce myself, this is one of China's most popular hot pot sauces, with everything already prepared inside."

He tore open the Prairie Red Sun packaging and squeezed the pre-made dark brown thick sauce into three small bowls.

A rich, complex aroma mixing sesame, chive flower sauce, fermented bean curd, and over a dozen spices instantly filled the cave.

This aroma, combined with the campfire's pine fragrance and the wild scent of mutton, gave Lin Yu'an a feeling like celebrating New Year at his teacher's house.

Lin Yu'an used two twigs as chopsticks, picked up a slice of fresh mutton, dipped it into the boiling water, and counted aloud, “One, two, three..."

In just three to five seconds, the bright red meat slice instantly changed color and curled slightly.

Because it was fresh-cut, it didn't shrink into a small ball like frozen meat slices, but maintained its extended form, looking meaty and substantial.

He quickly lifted out the meat slice, rolled it in the thick sesame sauce, then handed it to Old George's bowl.

"Try it, George."

Old George looked somewhat hesitantly at this piece of meat covered in strange sauce, but still used his spoon to put it in his mouth.

The moment the meat slice entered his mouth, his eyes widened dramatically.

The mutton's texture completely exceeded his expectations, with a firm yet extremely tender elastic quality.

That unique nutty flavor and the sweet fragrance from alpine herbs were perfectly brought out by the boiling water.

Even more wonderful was that layer of sauce, the rich sesame aroma and perfect saltiness not only didn't mask the mutton's pure meat fragrance.

Instead, like a perfect partner, it elevated the meat's deliciousness several levels and left a long, mellow aftertaste in the mouth.

"My God... this is incredible! This is what meat should taste like!"

Old George chewed vigorously several times, his face full of enjoyment.

Seeing this, Stan was already impatient, asking Lin Yu'an to quickly give him a piece too. After tasting the first bite, he immediately let out muffled praise sounds, then couldn't stop himself.

The three men said no more, surrounding that small iron pot, eating slice after slice of hot pot mutton.

Since the two couldn't use chopsticks, Lin Yu'an would put a large batch of mutton in the pot at once, then distribute it to both men.

The gas stove's blue flame danced steadily, the pot steamed hotly, while cold wind howled outside the cave.

This extreme contrast made this hot pot meal full of exotic hometown flavors an unforgettable experience and taste.

Fed and satisfied, the piping hot mutton and broth made Lin Yu'an feel comfortable all over.

They cleaned up the utensils and sat around the blazing campfire, contentedly burping.

Stan leaned against the rock wall, patting his belly, “Kid, this sauce is simply God's invention! I love it! I can't eat mutton without it anymore!"

Night gradually deepened.

The mountain valley was completely silent. Since there was no rain outside today, they needed to take turns keeping watch.

Just as Lin Yu'an was keeping the first half of the night watch, with the campfire flames burning bright, a series of howls that sounded very close carried over with the mountain wind.

"Awooo, ooo"

Lin Yu'an's heart jumped to his throat. He immediately woke Stan and Old George from their sleep.

"Wolves!" he said in a low voice.

Old George and Stan instantly became alert, all drowsiness gone.

They grabbed the guns beside them and listened carefully. A few seconds later, another howl rang out from a different direction.

"They're coming." Old George's expression became extremely grave.

"It seems our hot pot aroma traveled farther than simple bloody smells. These guys were attracted by our feast!"

The rich fragrance of the hot pot and warmth of the campfire lingered.

But the air in the cave became heavy with those approaching wolf howls.

"Awooo, ooo, "

The howling grew closer, rising and falling, as if there were invisible enemies on all sides.

Stan immediately got up and stoked the campfire higher. The firelight illuminated the cave brightly, making the darkness outside seem even more profound.

He checked his hand cannon's magazine and said grimly, “There are probably quite a few of them."

"Don't panic." Old George's voice was unusually calm.

"Let's establish some defensive positions first. Lin, turn on your headlamp and shine it toward the shadow area to the left of the cave entrance. Remember, don't shine directly, use peripheral light to sweep."

"Stan, use your Red Hawk for defense within ten meters. If any get close, shoot to kill immediately!"

Orders given, both men immediately sprang into action.

Lin Yu'an and Stan took positions on either side of the cave entrance, using rocks as cover, with Lin Yu'an directing his headlamp beam into the distance.

Old George stood in the middle-rear position where visibility was best, setting up his Remington 700 to search for targets.

By the weak light, they finally saw their attackers clearly.

On the gentle slope about fifty meters in front of the cave entrance, ghostly green dots flickered and moved in the darkness.

Those were wolves' eyes! Lin Yu'an roughly counted at least seven or eight light points! They formed a loose fan shape, silently, step by step approaching the cave entrance!

"Hold steady, wait for them to get closer."

Old George's voice was extremely low, like whispering in their ears, “They're very smart, testing us. Don't fire the first shot unless absolutely necessary."

Time seemed frozen. In the cave, only the campfire's "crackling" and the three men's steady breathing could be heard.

Outside, there was the subtle "rustling" of wolf paws on gravel and their excited panting sounds.

The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

Finally, a slightly larger wolf couldn't contain itself and rushed forward several steps from the right side, trying to bypass the headlamp area and charge into Stan's defense zone.

"Now! Stan, shoot at its feet!" Old George roared.

Stan didn't hesitate for a moment. The Alaska hand cannon he'd already locked onto target instantly spat fire. "Bang!"

The bullet didn't hit the wolf but precisely struck the ground in front of it, kicking up dirt and stones.

The wolf was startled by this sudden loud noise and impact, yelped, and immediately retreated with its tail between its legs.

The gunshot had a deterrent effect, and the wolf pack's offensive stalled.

But they didn't retreat. Instead, they regrouped, lingering and observing from a distance, looking for new weaknesses.

"They're waiting!"

Old George analyzed, “Waiting for us to let our guard down, or for our fire to die out. This is a battle of patience."

He looked at Lin Yu'an and said, “Kid, your shotgun is our ace!"

"Remember, unless a wolf charges within twenty meters, don't fire easily. Every one of your bullets is the most solid line of defense!"

"Understood." Lin Yu'an nodded.

The next hour became a long standoff.

The wolf pack made several attempts at harassment and probing from different angles, but each time they were driven back by Stan's precise warning shots.

They were like experienced chess players, using minimal cost to resolve wave after wave of the opponent's attacks.

However, the wolf pack's patience and cunning exceeded their imagination.

After another failed probe, the wolf pack suddenly changed strategy.

The largest alpha wolf suddenly let out a short, high-pitched howl.

Immediately after, three wolves like soldiers receiving orders simultaneously launched charges from three completely different directions!

They no longer probed but pushed their speed to the extreme, becoming three gray streaks of lightning diving straight for the cave entrance!

"Here they come!" Stan roared, quickly locking his gun barrel onto the one charging from the right front.

Old George's gun barrel steadily aimed at the alpha wolf in the center.

"Lin! The one on the left is yours!"

"Bang!"

Stan fired first, the bullet precisely hitting the right wolf's front leg. The wolf stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a painful howl.

"Bang!"

Old George's Remington 700 also roared! The wolf charging at the front rolled once, then died on the spot!

On the left side, that wolf had already charged within twenty meters! It opened its bloody maw and was about to pounce into the cave entrance!

Lin Yu'an showed amazing composure at this moment! Without any panic, he steadily held the shotgun and pulled the trigger!

"Boom!"

The shotgun produced a completely different sound from rifles, a deep, violent roar!

The death fan formed by 00 buckshot instantly enveloped the wolf at close range.

The wolf in mid-air was like hitting an invisible wall, blasted backward by the enormous impact to crash on the ground, never to move again.

Three shots, three wolves down!

This lightning-fast, perfectly coordinated deadly counterattack completely shattered the wolf pack's will.

After the alpha wolf let out a mournful cry, the remaining wolves immediately turned and fled into the darkness with their tails between their legs, never looking back.

Inside and outside the cave, silence returned.

"It's over."

Old George lowered his gun and took a long breath, but his tense body didn't completely relax.

Stan leaned against the rock wall, his face full of post-battle excitement, “Beautifully done! We worked together like one person!"

Lin Yu'an also felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, his whole body's blood boiling!

Looking at his two companions, an unprecedented sense of brotherhood arose.

They were no longer just hunting partners, but comrades who could trust each other with their backs.

"Don't let your guard down." Old George interrupted their excitement.

"Who knows if they'll come back. Tonight, none of us will get a peaceful sleep."

He glanced at the three wolf carcasses in the distance and said, “First drag them inside and cover the blood traces with dirt. Leaving them here will only attract more trouble, God knows if this bloody smell will attract bears."

"Then we'll take turns keeping watch, two hours each, until dawn."

For the following time, one person stood guard with a gun while two worked together to drag the three wolf carcasses into the depths of the cave.

Battle fatigue and nightwatch drowsiness constantly assaulted them, but no one complained.

They sat around the campfire, drinking hot water, talking about those heart-stopping few seconds, reviewing each other's shooting.

George patted his shoulder, “Lin, today you hunted truly meaningful prey in Alaska and officially became a real Alaskan hunter!"

"You have powerful hunter instincts, calm, decisive, trustworthy. I'm proud to fight alongside you!"

That night, the campfire never died.

Three figures at the cave entrance took turns guarding this small warm position.

The bond between them was forged unbreakably through this shared battle and long vigil.

They knew that from now on, they could completely rely on and trust each other on this harsh land!

[NEXT CHAPTER]